New York consumer confidence up in March

Consumer confidence rose in New York in March despite rising gas prices, according to a poll by the Siena Research Institute.

The confidence index increased 1.5 points, reaching 76.3.

That is slightly above the national consumer confidence index, 76.2, as measured in a separate poll by the University of Michigan.

“While the economy is not yet in full bloom, the roots of recovery, as measured by New York consumer sentiment, are now spreading and gaining strength,” said Don Levy, institute director. “We will see if soon they bear the long-awaited fruit of increasing consumer spending.”